Court of Arbitration for Sport temporarily lifts Fifa ban on Harimau Malaya footballers pending final ruling

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 27): The seven Harimau Malaya players, previously suspended for 12 months by Fifa, have now been granted permission to return to the field and continue their football activities.

The players are Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal, and Héctor Hevel.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), in a statement, informed that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had approved their request for a stay of execution.

“This means that the 12-month suspension from all football activities imposed by Fifa on the seven players has been temporarily lifted.

“They are now allowed to continue their careers and participate in football-related activities until CAS makes a final ruling,” FAM said.

On Sept 26, Fifa confirmed FAM and the seven players had violated Article 22 of Fifa’s Disciplinary Code (FDC) for submitting forged documents to confirm their eligibility.

This allowed them to play in Malaysia’s 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers last June.

As a result, FAM was fined CHF350,000 (RM1.8 million), while each player received a CHF2,000 (RM11,000) fine and a 12-month suspension.

FAM’s hope of reducing the suspension was dashed when Fifa’s Appeals Committee rejected their appeal on Nov 3, upholding the original decision regarding the serious violation of FDC Article 22.

FAM then took the case to CAS to seek justice and uphold the integrity of the player eligibility process set by the government and relevant authorities. — Bernama

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